portico

portico is italian for porch, or covered terrace. we are fortunate to have an expansive portico off many rooms of the tuscany house. in the summer it serves as the principal living room. we eat, play and drink there on a daily basis. when building the house spending time outside was a top priority so we wanted to make sure we created an area that could facilitate those moments even when the temperatures dropped. enter outdoor fireplace stage left. 

surprisingly this took a lot of persuading to get permission from the commune of siena, where we had to apply for all approvals during construction. while pizza ovens are a norm, outdoor fireplaces are not. i think the authorities that be were concern it was our way of setting up an area which we would later close up and do what they call an abuso, or an illegal addition to the house. we were eventually able to technically call this a bbq and it passed. here she is in all her glory, our favorite spot on an autumn evening, by the fire on the portico. rolling hills, vineyards and olive groves in the distance. i had dreams of roasting marshmallows with the kids, but so far we've only gotten as far as red wine and the occasional dinner. 

here was the same are after a little rearranging. we moved around the couches and some nearby table to create a fireside dining spot when a couple of friends joined us for dinner. 

and yes, we are still missing the second hanging light on the right. it a saying that everyone knows and for good reason, whatever you haven't completed by move in, will most likely take another ten years to complete! 

take a load off

there is a small bar i go to for coffee on the weekend in the town near our weekend home. when weather permits it's always nice to sit outside and i find it especially endearing considering how industrious they had to be with their seating arrangements due to the steep incline of the street where they are located. 

did you notice the wooden planks under the benches? and how they had to cut off the legs of the tables?  love it. just love it. 

it's the small things

i confess to complaining a lot more than i should about certain aspects of life in rome. the traffic, the garbage, the seemingly permanent stench of urine. ick. i know, too much info right? but one thing they really do right here is food and drink. obviously, it's italy after all! at least twice a week little bit accompanies me on a morning grocery run and her prize for patience is a fresh oj or centrifuga. she loooooves her juice and i can't help but remind myself how lucky we are to be able to have a freshly pressed carrot, apple and orange juice made on demand at just about any corner bar.

blurry iphone pics, apologies, but here is baby c awaiting her elixir.